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Monthly Archives: July 2013

Carol Walsh Greer is certainly an author that knows her characters and especially the main protagonist of her novel, Unlovely. Claudia Milford isn’t just a character, though. She is a your cousin or your sister-in-law’s friend or your brother or…anyone you might know. Like many people with mental health challenges, Claudia’s problems are virtually unknown to her.

For me, the measure of a good book is that I cannot put it down until I’m finished. This book is definitely one of those “can’t put it down” books. The plot is compelling and the characters, especially the character of Claudia, is brilliantly defined and illustrated.

I did find the ending abrupt (I personally like more resolution), and the edition I read had typos and some editing issues (although the author has informed me the typos have been addressed). Editing issues aside, this was an outstanding read and I thoroughly enjoyed this story by a first-time novelist. I look forward to reading more by her. Highly recommend!

To download it, click here. If you’d prefer a print edition, it will be available soon!

I’m cleaning out my storage area/bookcase and decided to give away ten books I’ve reviewed in the past four years. Some are Catholic fiction; a few non-fiction. Around $125 worth of books here. If you would like to be entered to win, leave a comment below (before Saturday, August 3rd at midnight).

Here are the books I’m giving away. Click on the link to read more about them at Amazon.

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets, where we share posts from the previous week. I haven’t been participating in Sunday Snippets for the past few weeks because I’ve been away and working on several deadlines. I’ll be away for the next few weekends preparing and attending the Catholic Writers Conference Live so I will only be able to post sporadically. Until then, here are my previous week’s posts:

3. Humanae Vitae
To read Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, Humanae Vitae, in its entirety, click here. Some critics feel that Pope Paul VI did not go far enough in condemning contraception, but if you read the full encyclical, I don’t think there’s any doubt that he condemns birth control unequivocally.

The following is an article that was originally published in Family Foundations and updated for my blog:

We have been teaching Natural Family Planning (or NFP) for nearly 29 years. We have volunteered much of our time preparing and teaching classes over the past 28 years, as well as lecturing to marriage preparation courses and youth groups. However, I’d like to share what we have gotten out of it.

Admittedly, when we first decided many years ago to become NFP teachers after only two years of marriage, we thought about what we would give, not what we would receive. We had no idea of the abundant fruit it would bear.

First, we have made so many wonderful friends through teaching NFP. Most of our close friends are couples we have taught over the years.

One particular couple was considering sterilization when they met us 20 years ago. Having four children born one right after the other, they were being pressured by friends and relatives into having a permanent procedure done. We taught them NFP and they used it for many years. Nine years ago, they welcomed another child into their family.

Second, we have been able to evangelize in a way that has allowed friends and relatives to take a second look at NFP. Our many contracepting friends and relatives have seen what NFP has done for our marriage. They see a couple with a loving, sacramental relationship, with God as the third partner. And while they may not ever use NFP, they cannot argue with the success of our marriage.

As well, we have convinced some of these friends and relatives that contraception is not only physically unhealthy, but also spiritually unhealthy. One day we were at a friend’s anniversary party and a woman asked how we knew the couple celebrating their anniversary. “We taught them NFP.”

“What’s NFP?” asked the woman. This started a 45-minute conversation on the benefits and morality of NFP. At the end of the conversation, the woman told us to sign her up for our next class.

Third, teaching NFP is a good example to our children because they are seeing us give our time freely to other couples. They see us doing something to try to “change the world.” When our oldest son was a teenager, he came with us to a pro-life conference. We were speaking on the “Joys of NFP.” Later, he asked us, “What can I do to change the world? What can I do to help make the world a better place?’

“What brought this on? Why do you ask?”

“Because you and Dad teach NFP, do chastity talks, go on pro-life marches, help out with marriage preparation. I mean, you do so much. I’d like to do something like that.”

I was shocked that he had even noticed.

The rewards we have received through friendships, evangelization and example to our children are priceless.

Teaching NFP is one of the most time-consuming things we have ever set out to do. And although there are frustrating times, it is definitely one of the most satisfying decisions we have ever made.

We now teach NFP online (photo above). If you’re interested in learning NFP or in teaching it, email us at info(at)fullquiverpublishing.com

To continue the celebration of NFP Awareness Week, I’m reposting an article I wrote last year, entitled “Theology of the Body in a Nutshell.”

If we look at the four components of God’s love for us (free, total, faithful, fruitful) and compare God’s love to marital love, we can discover how to live the Sacrament of marriage as the ultimate expression of spousal love.

Free: We need to be able love our spouse freely. If we ask for conditions, that’s not love. If we force our spouse to do something, that’s not love. If we cannot say no to our sexual urges, then we are not free.

Faithful: Obviously, faithfulness means we must only have intercourse with our spouse and no other. But if we want to be truly faithful to our spouse, we must be faithful in word, action and thought.

Fruitful: Marital relations must be fruitful, open to children, each and every time. That doesn’t mean we will conceive (or want to conceive) a child with every marital embrace. It just means we need to be open.

Birth control, in fact, destroys all four of the essential components (free, total, faithful, fruitful). Birth control violates not only God’s plan in fruitfulness, but it also encourages an “I can’t say no” mentality to sex. When an action, device, medication or operation is purposefully used to remove fertility, a couple cannot give themselves totally, no matter how much they love each other. Contraception says, “I give all of myself to my spouse – except my fertility.”

Natural Family Planning allows a couple to love each other as God loves: freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully. Couples using NFP chart the wife’s cycle and, if avoiding pregnancy, they abstain in the fertile time. If they are planning a pregnancy, they engage in relations during the fertile time. They are not using devices; they are fully giving of themselves and they are open to children with each and every act of marital relations.

NFP allows us to love our spouse as God loves us: freely, with no reservation, faithfully and open to children. Marriage can be a holy vocation when a couple loves as God loves: freely, totally, faithfully and fruitfully.

Want to live the highest expression of your marital love? Use NFP and be open to life.

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I am an author, editor, self-publishing book coach, speaker, publisher, NFP teacher, book reviewer, Theology of the Body teacher and Marriage Preparation Instructor. However, the roles I love the most are being wife to my husband of 36 years, James, and mother to our five adult sons, ages 19-31.

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